THE BAYA BIRD. 121 



the comb of a wasp's nest, and aceumnlate all the 

 more rapidly that the birds refuse to use a last year's 

 nest, leaving it to various rather disreputable tenants, 

 in the way of bats, insects, and reptiles, while they 

 move into cleaner apartments. 



In fact, the place is in every respect a tenement 

 house, noisy, and thronged with a miscellaneous mul- 

 titude of all sorts and conditions of folks, each family 

 keeping house on its own account, and often quar- 

 reling not only with other households but among its 

 own members. The roof, however, unlike that of 

 its human prototype, effectually keeps out not only 

 rain, but thieves and murderers ; bird- and egg-eating 

 snakes and monkeys can not effect an entrance, and 

 the occupants of the nest are safe. 



THE BAYA BIRD. 



A CLEVER LITTLE ARCHITECT. 



What human habitations can rival the dainty 

 architecture of the birds ? In adaptation of materials, 

 form, and size to the use designed, what equals the 

 snug and airy domicile swung on the extremest tip of 

 a pliant twig, the pendant home of the oriole ; or the 

 nest of the wren, deftly concealed in the perfumed 

 shadows of clover blossoms or violets ; or the exquisite 

 nest of the hummingbird, built of lichens and mim- 

 icking the knot of an old tree ; or, indeed, a thousand 



others ? 



10 



